OAKLAND -– The strategic move that lifted the Warriors to an NBA Finals win over Cleveland last June will not be utilized when the Cavaliers come Oracle Arena on Christmas Day.
There are no plans to shift Finals MVP Andre Iguodala out of his typical sixth man role and into the starting lineup, as occurred in The Finals, in an attempt to neutralize Cleveland star LeBron James.
“As of now, we’re going to keep our starting lineup the same,” interim coach Luke Walton said after a brief practice Thursday.
“We’ll make adjustments throughout the game,” he added. "But unless something happens from now until tomorrow, we’ll roll with the guys that have been starting for us.”
The starting five lately has featured Brandon Rush and Draymond Green at forward, Andrew Bogut at center, and Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry at guard. Rush has made 11 straight starts in place of Barnes, who remains out with a sprained ankle sustained on Nov. 27.
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“We’ve been doing well without him and winning games,” Walton said of Barnes. “But (Friday) is one of those games where it would be nice to have him back.”
The Warriors ideally would rotate a crew of defenders on James, with Barnes and Iguodala getting most of the work. Green would get a few turns, as might Thompson and Rush.
Unless the Warriors decide to crossmatch on defense, Rush will be the initial defender on James, whose 26.4 points per game ranks fourth in the NBA.
Iguodala’s status was at issue because he was placed, for strategic reasons, into the starting lineup in Game 4 of The Finals. The Warriors had lost two of the first three games. With Iguodala primarily assigned to James, the Warriors swept the final three games to take the series.
James averaged 41 points, on 40.2-percent shooting through the first three games, and dropped to 30.7 points, on 39.3-percent shooting over the last three games.
